Andrew Heller: Sorry, dog owners, you're to blame when Fido attacks

The headline said "Murder warrants issued against owners of dogs in deadly Lapeer County mauling." If I were writing a subhead to that it would be, "Owners astonished that actions have consequences."

Because these days way too many people think they don't. And that's why I wrote "yes, yes, yes and yes" underneath the Facebook post I made of that news story.

I'm not bloodthirsty or vengeful. But like a lot of people, I'm fed up with aggressive dog owners, assault gun owners and every other bully who places their warped sense of "cool" before the safety of others.

Those who would defend Valbona Lucaj and Sebastiano Quagliata, who were charged with second-degree murder, would probably say that it was their Cane Corsos that killed jogger Craig Sytsma, not them, so why should they face charges?

That question will no doubt be at the core of the defense's case. If I were the prosecutor, I would respond with a few simple questions of my own.

"But who owned the dogs? And who's responsible for making sure they don't run loose? And who didn't get rid of the dogs even after previous biting incidents?"

If the answers are Lucaj and Quagliata, then who should suffer the consequences?

Well, to me it's clear – Lucaj and Quagliata. But we'll see what happens in the trial. Since murder charges in cases of dogs killing people are rare, I wouldn't be surprised if they're acquitted on the murder charges and convicted on lesser charges of owning a dangerous animal causing death. After all, you can easily see jurors thinking, "Well, what if MY dog got out and hurt or killed someone?"

But I think that kind of thinking is misguided. The difference between Lucaj and Quagliata and most people is that most people don't own 100-pound dogs that, according to a Wikipedia entry on the breed, are descended from dogs "used by the Romans in warfare." Notice that you seldom see the headline "Yappy, little cockapoo kills mailman."

The entry also says this: "The Cane Corso is not recommended for novice dog owners. As a puppy, it requires strong leadership and consistent training. Its natural instinct is to be suspicious of strangers and for this reason it is highly encouraged to begin socialization as soon as possible. Ideally the Cane Corso should be indifferent when approached and should only react in a protective manner when a real threat is present."

Clearly, that's not what happened here because it's apparent these Cane Corsos received no such consistent, early training or socialization, just like many of the large, dangerous breeds that are so in fashion these days in the inner city and everywhere else.

Honestly, I don't feel much sympathy for macho dog owners. They buy or breed kegs of dynamite like Corsos, pit bulls or Rottweilers then scoff at anyone who objects or is afraid of them.

"Afraid? How could you be afraid of him? He's just a big, cuddly-wuddly baby to me."